17-12-2012 Event

Violence against patients and health staff involved in health care is one of the most serious humanitarian issues, even though it has not yet received due attention. For this reason, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has launched an ICRC-led global campaign under the title of "Health Care in Danger", encompassing a number of events over four years.

In this context, the ICRC is co-organizing with the Egyptian Red Crescent Society a three-day workshop in Cairo, gathering together 40 local and international experts in relevant domains. The purpose of this workshop is to discuss how the security situation of health-care providers can be improved during armed conflicts and other emergencies.

Such meetings provide an opportunity for physicians, nurses, first aiders, and associated institutions offering health care in emergencies to share experiences and expertise on enhancing the safety of the wounded, sick, and health care staff.

Organizers

The International Committee of the Red Cross

The Egyptian Red Crescent Society

Objectives

examine how threats to security can affect or disrupt the provision of health care in the field;

identify measures and recommendations to governments, National Societies, health-care institutions and individual practitioners with respect to the aforementioned issues thus ensuring the security and delivery of effective and impartial emergency health care in the field in armed conflict and other emergencies;

consider what professional support exists for emergency health-care providers in terms of training, insurance and psycho-social support; and,

identify challenges that must be addressed in the future and take first steps to address these challenges.

Participants

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement

Egyptian Ambulance Organization

Arab Medical Union

Egyptian Medical Syndicate

MSF Doctors Without Borders

World Medical Association

World Health Organization (WHO)

Academics

Agenda

Book launch: "Health Care in Danger: The Responsibilities of Health Care Personnel Working in Armed Conflicts and Other Emergencies".

Several plenary sessions on practical measures to ensure the safety of the wounded, sick, and health-care providers in the field